


Into The Black: A Preemptive Sequel to Flames of the Feeonix II

by chatteringmagpie



Category: Star Trek: Picard
Genre: Abduction, Adventure, Assassins & Hitmen, Danger, Drinking to Cope, Elnor is in Big Trouble, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Male-Female Friendship, Organized Crime, Sacrifice, Shyness, Slave Trade
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:14:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24501436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chatteringmagpie/pseuds/chatteringmagpie
Summary: When the crew of La Sirena is abducted by a dangerous crime cartel, Elnor must descend into the seedy underworld of Black City to rescue them. He forms a difficult partnership with a troubled assassin who tests the limits of his moral beliefs while trying to teach him how to survive in the violent world he finds himself in.
Relationships: Elnor & Cristóbal Rios, Elnor & Jean-Luc Picard, Elnor (Star Trek) & Original Character(s)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

It was still early in the morning but the marketplace was bustling. Elnor trailed a few steps behind Picard and Rios. The air was cool and the light breeze tousled the ends of his long hair around as they strolled past colorful stalls selling fruit, bolts of fabric, and other items. He adjusted the strap across his chest and shifted his shoulders slightly, moving the scabbard on his back to a more comfortable position. He stopped to admire the artistry of a local potter’s work until he heard his name.

“Elnor, please try to keep up,” Picard told him, adjusting his wide-brimmed hat.

They weren’t there on a leisure trip. Rios was supposed to meet his new passenger and Picard decided to tag along to get some _real_ fresh air, as he put it. Elnor, of course, went wherever Picard did so there they were, casually making their way through the market toward whatever local dive Rios’ passenger insisted they meet at.

_The village and the market reminded him of Vashti. Simple people living a simple existence, just trying to get by as best they could. He imagined many of the residents were peaceful but the poverty and lack of stable infrastructure created an atmosphere ripe for criminal activity, much like Vashti. Visitors like them were at a higher risk for being targeted and he worried about Picard. The elderly man was kind, if reserved, and more vulnerable than the streetwise Rios. He was trying to keep his eyes open and alert but the jubilant market was distracting. As eager as he’d been to leave his mundane life on Vashti, he found traveling on a cargo ship wasn’t any more stimulating. He was bored most of the time and welcomed outings like this._

He lagged again as his dark eyes took in the spread of books on the table near him. Picard came up next to him but instead of chastising him for falling behind again, he asked,

“Do you see anything that interests you?”

“I haven’t looked closely,” Elnor replied. Picard began perusing the vendor’s selection and discovered most of the books were Terran. He turned and called to Rios who came over to join them. They spent the next half an hour sifting through the titles and Picard picked up the tab for all of them.

The market was large and as they wove their way through the aisles, the crowd became denser. Someone bumped into Elnor, not too hard but enough for him to have to compensate for the loss of balance. They each instinctively touched the other’s arm as they stepped aside.

“Sorry,” the stranger apologized as they continued past him. They glanced over their shoulder and he met their gaze, his attention caught by their unusual eyes. The interaction lasted only a few seconds but it gave him a weird feeling. He kept walking but watched the stranger disappear into the sea of faces.

“Pretty girl?” Rios asked with an amused smirk when he noticed Elnor looking back.

Rios’ question didn’t quite register at first. “What?” Then he realized both men were looking at him with identical expressions and his cheeks flushed. “I don’t think so, no.”

“Are you sure, Nino?” Rios teased.

“Oh leave him be,” Picard said recognizing Elnor was becoming flustered as he often did whenever the topic of attractive women came up.

“Hey, I’m just sayin’ I wouldn’t mind if he pointed one or two out. I like to look too,” Rios chuckled.

“Someone bumped into me,” Elnor said, hoping Rios would drop the subject.

_It wasn’t much of a secret that while he’d been raised entirely by women, he struggled to interact with ones his age outside of a combat forum. Even his strict adherence to the tenets of Absolute Candor didn’t seem to help him overcome the embarrassing reticence that afflicted him when he tried to interact with a girl he was attracted to. He was painfully inexperienced and it was painfully obvious._

Thankfully, Rios did drop the subject and they progressed toward their destination as the older men discussed philosophy instead. Elnor wasn’t disinterested in their conversation but he didn’t have anything to contribute so before long his eyes started to wander around him again. He thought he saw something familiar in his peripheral vision and turned toward it. He only caught a glimpse but he was sure it was the same person who bumped into him earlier.

The meeting spot was a small tavern tucked away on a side street at the far end of the market. It presented as respectable but it was also early in the day. It might have become a completely different place after dark. The trio entered and sat at a table near the door.

Elnor scanned the room. There were a few other patrons, mostly single men sitting alone. One looked like he was the village drunk. He was seated at the bar and had a rumpled appearance. He slouched over the counter with a paper spread out in front of him but seemed as if he were nodding off rather than reading it. Another man, a heavier set but neatly dressed Bolian sat in the far corner with his back to the wall. He watched Elnor’s group come in and sit down but then returned his attention to the padd in front of him. A third man, tall with wide shoulders and skin like hardened sand sat at a table in the middle of the room. He didn’t even acknowledge the new arrivals. There were only two others in the tavern, seated at a table together playing a card game and chattering away to each other in a language unfamiliar to the young Romulan.

After quickly assessing the room, Elnor sat facing the open door. He saw someone walk past the entrance and he could swear it was the same stranger who bumped into him earlier. He stood up and craned himself forward as he tried to catch sight of them again.

Picard looked at him quizzically. “Is everything alright, Elnor?”

“I think we’re being followed,” he replied. “I keep seeing the same person who bumped into me at the market.”

“This town isn’t that big, I don’t think it’s unusual to see the same people more than once,” Rios said.

“What makes you believe this person is following us?” Picard asked.

Elnor sat back down with a frustrated frown on his face. “I don’t know, it’s just a feeling I have.”

“You have feelings about everything,” Rios teased. Picard ignored the gentle jab but Elnor gave Rios a look commonly exchanged between a boy and his older brother.

_Not that he had any idea what having an older brother was like but he guessed their dynamic was similar._

At that point, a well-dressed man of average height approached the table. “Mr. Rios?” he ventured tentatively.

The handsome Chilean looked up. “The one and only,” he replied.

A broad smile spread across the man’s face and he extended his hand. “Excellent! I’m Alvin Sutcliffe, the one who inquired about passage aboard your vessel.”

“Have a seat, Mr. Sutcliffe,” Rios said, shaking the man’s hand and gesturing to the empty chair. “This is retired admiral, Jean-Luc Picard, and this is-”

“Admiral Picard!” Sutcliffe interrupted with a charming inflection. He had a slight accent although its origin was indeterminate. “Your reputation is well known and very impressive. It is a pleasure.” He thrust his hand toward Picard who accepted it with a modest smile.

“Thank you.”

“Is this your servant?” Sutcliffe asked, glancing at Elnor.

Picard smiled again. “No, Elnor is my _qalankhkai_.”

“His bodyguard,” Rios elaborated before Sutcliffe could ask what that meant.

The man took a step back and scanned Elnor up, and down a little too slowly. “Well, he certainly looks fit to the task. A strong, healthy boy rarely makes a poor companion. It’s a pleasure,” he said, nodding at the young Romulan.

Elnor nodded politely in return.

_He didn’t like the way the man looked at him and the way he said “strong, healthy boy” made his skin crawl but he didn’t want to cause problems for Rios so he ignored it._

The server then brought out the drinks Picard and Rios ordered, and they all sat quietly while Mr. Alvin Sutcliffe prattled on about his business interests, and how much he appreciated Rios’ reasonable rates. Elnor kept his eyes on the doorway waiting to see if he would spot the stranger again.

By the time they left the tavern, it was nearly midday and the sun was high in the sky. Picard tugged his hat down over his face to shield it from the bright light and Elnor found he had to squint for the first few minutes until his eyes adjusted to the drastic change in illumination. Sutcliffe was eager to stroll through the market now that the crowd of shoppers had thinned and Rios was in no particular hurry so he agreed.

The man continued to chatter away while Picard politely nodded every so often making a _hmmm_ sound and Rios did an excellent job of pretending to be interested in Sutcliffe’s various entrepreneurial ideas. Elnor trailed behind the three and paid closer attention to their surroundings as they traced their original path back through the market, letting his mind wander a little.

_He wondered what Soji, Agnes, and Raffi were up to back on the ship. He liked Raffi. She was warm and kind, and even though he could tell she struggled with her demons, she was always the first one to be there whenever anyone else was hurting. She had certainly been a shoulder for him to quite literally cry on and she seemed to be able to read his moods better than the others. She was also sympathetic to his difficulties with Soji. Raffi was the first to notice his crush and was still trying to help him conquer his shyness with limited success. Actually, no success but she kept trying. Soji always treated him courteously but otherwise seemed to avoid one-on-one interaction with him. He knew it wasn’t entirely personal. He reminded her of Narek. He couldn’t help how he felt though and continued to hold out hope she would give him a chance one day. Agnes was also kind but deeply haunted by the crime she’d committed and kept everyone except Rios at arm's length. Still, he enjoyed her company and she always stuck up for him when Raffi and Rios teased him._

His train of thought was interrupted as a strange feeling came over him. His eyes searched the area around him until he spotted the stranger again. It wasn’t obvious they were following his party but he was convinced the repeat appearances weren’t just coincidence. He picked up his pace a little and came up on Picard’s left.

“I saw that same person again,” he said quietly. “The one who walked into me earlier.”

Picard turned toward him. “You are beginning to sound a little paranoid, Elnor. I haven’t noticed anyone suspicious and neither has Mr. Rios.”

“But-”

“We’ll be back aboard the ship soon,” Picard told him. “If you see them again, by all means, let me know but I think you need to relax.”

Frustrated by the dismissal, Elnor fell back behind the group again and kept his attention completely focused on the people surrounding them. A few minutes later, he caught another glimpse.

_They were definitely being followed._

When he saw them yet again, he finally moved to confront them. He reached for his weapon but Rios caught his arm.

“Hey, what are you doing?” he asked, keeping his voice low. “You can’t be pulling that out in a crowded market.”

“I keep seeing that same person,” Elnor insisted. “They’re following us.”

Rios tightened his grip on Elnor’s arm and his tone turned harsh. “Even if they are, what do you think you’re going to do? Decapitate them in front of a crowd of witnesses? This isn’t Vashti, companero.”

“I-” Elnor tried to respond but Rios wouldn’t hear it. Cursing in Spanish, he pushed him toward Picard. “You need to keep an eye on your muscle, jefe.”

“What is the problem, Rios?” Picard asked, somewhat confused by the sudden disagreement between the two.

“He’s still convinced we’re being followed and he just tried to pull his sword,” Rios said.

Picard looked at Elnor and frowned. “We’ve had this discussion before, Elnor. You’re not to draw your weapon without explicit instructions to do so,” he firmly told him.

Sutcliffe observed the exchange with mild interest. “Don’t be too hard on the boy,” he said kindly. “He’s only doing his duty. These open-air markets can be dangerous for visitors.” Then he looked at Elnor and winked. An action the young Romulan found disconcerting. It was not a friendly, _I’ve got your back_ type of wink but closer to a slimy, _meet me in that alley over there_ , kind of wink. Alvin Sutcliffe made him uneasy.

Once the man decided he had enough of the market, they headed for their beam out coordinates. Elnor continued to hold up the rear, quietly sulking by this point. He noticed Sutcliffe glancing at him and started to wonder about him.

_Rios mentioned that Sutcliffe was only traveling to the next star system and it struck him as a little odd that this man would book passage on a freighter rather than just take a commuter shuttle especially since he wasn’t going very far. It seemed like more hassle than it was worth. Unless, of course, he wanted to avoid being listed on a passenger manifest. By choosing a random cargo ship he could avoid the more rigid regulations that governed the commercial shuttles, even on a less developed world like this. Why would he want to do that though? What was he hiding? Maybe nothing. Maybe he just wanted to be comfortable. Commuter shuttles were more efficient but they lacked the amenities a ship like La Sirena offered. Maybe Picard was right and he was being paranoid. He still had nightmares about the things that happened on the Artifact. The violent genocide...being alone for days, unable to sleep...Hugh’s blood all over his hands...almost being captured by the Tal Shiar. Perhaps trying to suppress his fears wasn’t working and they were starting to manifest in other ways. Maybe he should try talking to Picard about them later._

Feeling thwarted and ignored, he let out a sigh. He looked over at a dressmaker’s stall and in the large mirror, he saw the stranger behind him. Not wanting to betray his advantage, he kept his eyes ahead, and subtly reached his hand out to touch Picard’s arm. He took a discreet peek behind him to make sure the stranger was still there and then he quietly said the old man’s name.

“We are definitely being followed,” he added.

Picard tilted his head toward him. “Is our shadow back?”

Elnor nodded. “They’re right behind me.”

Picard slowed his gait until they were both trailing behind Rios and Sutcliffe. Elnor took one more glance to confirm their tail and gave a brief description. “Dark jacket, wide hood, big eyes.”

Picard turned over his shoulder. “Elnor, there is nobody there.”

Shocked by the reply, he turned himself right around. The stranger was gone. “They were just there! How can anyone disappear so quickly out in the open?” Frustrated, he stopped moving and searched around him but there was no trace of the person he’d seen only a few seconds ago.

Picard looked at him with concern. “Are you feeling alright?”

“I feel fine,” he replied with defeat.

Picard took his arm and started leading him back toward Rios, and Sutcliffe. The latter’s expression was neutral but Rios’ was not. He was clearly annoyed with Elnor’s behaviour and the young Romulan knew he was going to hear about it when they got back to the ship. The group reached the beam out spot and Rios signaled for Raffi to transport them off the surface. Just as he was surrounded by the swirling light, Elnor was positive he saw the stranger watching them.


	2. The Deadly Dance

That night he fell into a fitful sleep with the image of the stranger from the market in his mind. The contrast of the orange and blue in the eyes was striking but it was the feeling he picked up from them that lingered.

_Even at a distance, he could tell the stranger had a focused interest in his party. He knew they were being watched and he seemed to be the only one who noticed. His concerns were politely but quickly dismissed by Picard because, of course, as soon as he tried to point out their shadow it evaporated into thin air. At only eighteen his youth always seemed to work against him. He’d been treated to a lecture as soon as they were back on the ship. Both Rios and Picard questioned how developed his instincts were and expressed concerns that he was too eager to find trouble. That he was impatient and hot-blooded. He was expected to come to heel and wait for instructions before taking action. That wasn’t exactly what he had in mind when he left Vashti._

The noise just outside his cabin woke him. He listened intently for a few seconds before sliding out of bed and retrieving his _tan qalanq_. He moved silently toward the door and as it slid open, he saw Rios on the other side, armed with a phaser. The hallway was dark except for the emergency lights.

“What’s happening?” Elnor asked in a low whisper.

“There’s an intruder on my ship,” Rios replied in a similar hushed voice. “We’re dead in the water and I can’t get the power back on.”

Elnor’s eyes widened and he motioned down the corridor with them. Rios nodded affirmatively.

_This was where he excelled. He was the predator, stealthy, fast, and strong. The intruder was his prey and he was hungry for a confrontation. He could feel his body readying itself for what would happen when he found whoever it was that dared threaten the people he was beginning to think of as family. His heart pumped a little harder, his blood raced a little faster, his muscles became a little tighter. His eyes and ears were more keenly aware of every minute variance in the shadows surrounding him. If it came down to it he would protect this crew with his last breath._

“Let me go first,” he said and even though Rios hesitated initially he agreed, and stepped behind Elnor as they crept towards the main part of the ship. Both barefoot and clad in their pajamas, the pair reached the open area below the bridge, slinking along the wall to avoid being detected.

_He could hear the slight unsteadiness in Rios’ breath. He didn’t doubt the man’s fortitude but he could tell the La Sirena captain was unnerved by the situation and wanted a quick resolution. They were both concerned about people other than themselves._

Elnor spotted the motion in his peripheral vision and gestured for Rios to stop. He pointed in the direction of the shadow and then they both saw movement. The two looked at each other to confirm their silent plan.

With his sword drawn and ready, Elnor skulked towards the shadow keeping his eyes wide, fixed on the blackness ahead of him waiting for it to indicate its exact location. He glanced over his shoulder at Rios who was watching from his position near the dark medical bay, phaser held ready. The shadow moved again, inhumanly fast, a barely visible blur heading for the stairs leading to the bridge. He sprinted forward, anticipating its direction, and blocked the path to the stairs.

“Choose to live,” he advised as the intruder slowed and took shape.

It was humanoid, almost half his size, and a wide hood obscured most of its face. They each stood frozen in position, absorbing and assessing each other. As Elnor’s vision adjusted he could just make out the intruder’s human features but it was too dark for him to ascertain anything else. There was no discernible gender or species but he recognized the oversized eyes that glowed with an eerie fiery light. It was the stranger from the market.

_He_ _was_ _impressed_ _by_ _its_ _cool audacity. Sneaking aboard a quiet ship while its crew slept was extraordinarily bold and now confronted,_ _the_ _re was no hint_ _of_ _remorse,_ _n_ _o display of_ _fear,_ _n_ _o attempt to escape_ _._ _He felt a tingling rush of excitement as_ _his_ _anticipation_ _reached its peak_ _._

He adjusted his grip on his sword. His fingers curled around the smooth wooden hilt as the muscles in his arms coiled, ready to guide his blade to a swift triumph. He edged forward, his bare feet sticking slightly to the metal deck. The intruder responded by squaring its shoulders. They were ready to fight him and they would lose.

_In retrospect, he wished he’d taken the time to put his boots on but knew to worry about it now was pointless. It wasn’t like he could ask the intruder if they would mind waiting for a minute so he could better prepare himself for their confrontation._ _It didn’t matter_ _. He would win, regardless._ _He hoped Rios wouldn’t be too upset about the blood he was about to spill._

The intruder attacked, coming at him with a low strike designed to take his feet out from under him but he was ready. He dodged, countered with his blade, catching only air. The hard elbow in his ribs knocked him forward. Then he heard the song of releasing steel behind him, announcing the intent to engage.

_The sweet, gentle Elnor disappeared into his internal recesses with that sound, replaced by the strict, single-minded Elnor whose only focus was victory. Everything around him faded to static and all that mattered was his opponent._

He spun around and their swords collided. The high pitched ring of the blades sliding against each other filled the air and echoed off the bulkhead. He connected with a high spin kick but the intruder came back fast. A hard fist to his jaw followed by an elbow. The blades crashed again and they pushed off each other. The intruder spun low, taking him off his feet. He recovered with a fast pivot on his shoulders. His legs came around to strike but the intruder flipped over him. As the arc completed, the wide hood came down to reveal the attractive feminine face and the cloud of blonde hair.

_I_ _t didn’t_ _faze_ _him_ _._ _He’_ _d fought pretty girls before_ _._

He felt the hot sting as her blade opened his skin. He whirled around with a hard slice and caught her across her face. She pushed back, whipping close to vital arteries. Forced onto the table, he sailed over her. As soon as his feet hit the floor, he sprang but she deftly sidestepped. Her fist came down on his skull with a simultaneous knee into his gut. He hit the floor, shocked by the fierce jolt.

Remarkably, she stepped back and waited for him to recover. “Whenever you are ready,” she told him, patiently holding her weapon down. He turned to face her and saw her smile. It wasn’t quite a smirk though, and as he got to his feet, he locked eyes with her.

_She wasn’t laughing at him but he could tell she was enjoying herself. He’d never faced an opponent like this before. Every strike failed to yield the damage he expected. His strength and size were irrelevant. Her expression remained impassive and even when he carved a valley across her face, she barely flinched. He knew allowing himself to become frustrated would cause him to make a mistake, likely a fatal one. The stakes were too high for him to fail. Everyone was counting on him. He needed to keep calm and pace himself._ _He forced the pain into submission and tightened his focus. He was not going to lose this fight._

Their blades came together again. The sonorous whine accentuated by yellow sparks. The vibration in his arms synchronized with the one under his feet and the strange harmony cleared his mind. She watched him with fascination as he became one with the cadence of their graceful, deadly dance. His feet barely touched the deck as he perfectly matched each maneuver she made. His chest and face were flushed, and his eyes burned as the intoxication took him. He was almost carnal.

Rios had been trying to lock his phaser on the intruder but was afraid of hitting Elnor by mistake. They were too close together, moving too fast. His mind searched for a way to aid his comrade but each suggestion was quickly discarded. He’d never been in a duel himself but he could recognize how closely matched the pair were. If he distracted Elnor, even for an instant, it could cost the young Romulan his life. Rios didn’t want that on his conscience so he helplessly watched, praying the intruder would get close enough for him to take his shot.

The violent dance went over the table. Elnor twisted his blade into hers and it flung from her grasp. It whizzed past Rios, so close the zephyr ruffled his hair. It shattered the medical bay window and the crash of glass was deafening.

Elnor moved for a fatal strike but her slender fingers surrounded his wrist with startling strength. Her free hand grabbed his shirt and jerked him forward. Then blinding pain as her forehead hammered the bridge of his nose. He was stunned only for a second but it was all she needed. His eyes refocused and she was already halfway to reaching her weapon.

Rios fired at her repeatedly and only missed once but the phaser seemed to have no effect. She dropped and slid through the broken glass with Elnor a hair’s breadth behind her. She grabbed her weapon and spun around swinging but he twirled over the blade, landing his foot in her chest. She stumbled backward and he moved to trap her but she went up the wall and launched herself over him.

The rainstorm of glass roused the rest of the crew as well as Rios’ passenger who appeared in the doorway just as the fight spilled out of the medical bay. As soon as the intruder laid eyes on Alvin Sutcliffe, she turned monstrous. It became frighteningly apparent she’d been holding back. Her strikes became vicious and her lethal intent brutally clear. The dance was over.

Raffi appeared next, also armed. Eyes wide and blood racing, she raised her weapon but Rios stopped her.

“I already tried that, it didn’t work,” he said. “And they’re moving too fast, you might hit the kid.”

“What do you mean it didn’t work?” Raffi asked, her voice high and jumpy.

“She’s wearing some sort of armor. I hit her three times. Didn’t even slow her down,” Rios replied.

Raffi clutched her phaser tighter. “What is she doing here? What the hell does she want?”

“I don’t know but I’ll wager she isn’t just looking for a casual duel,” Rios said. Then he and Raffi turned their eyes to Sutcliffe who was beginning to look unnaturally nervous.

Elnor solidly held his own until she twisted around one of his strikes. She drove her hilt into his ribs with such force, they both heard the crack. Despite the exquisite pain, he stayed in step and landed his next shot. Now they were chillingly close to each other. Razor-sharp edges barely missing flesh.

Rios and Raffi could only watch as Elnor began to lose ground. The suspense in the air filled their lungs with each breath. It was obvious he was injured and tired.

_If he lost_ _, what would happen to the rest of them?_

He landed several hard successive strikes. Her sword clattered away. His confidence boosted, he moved for her carotid artery. She weaved under his blade and propelled herself off the wall. She emerged from her crouch with a weapon he had never seen before. A _kyoketsu-shoge._ A sinister-looking sickle that dangled from a length of chain. It whipped around her with unearthly artistry. He inched back. The ominous whirring turned his blood cold and her murderous stare could have made a Klingon faint.

Without warning, Sutcliffe grabbed Raffi’s phaser and fired at the intruder. His hands shaking and his eyes wide with panic, it was evident he feared for his life more than the others. Again, the phaser proved impotent. The crescent blade lashed at him. It wound around his neck and he could hear the sound inside his skull as it bit through bone. Raffi and Rios gaped in horror as she leveraged the chain around herself, and tore his head from his body. A flick retracted the sickle. The severed head skidded across the deck leaving a red smear in its wake.

The weapon thrashed at Elnor. He eluded the first two strikes but not the third. It snaked around both his blade and wrist, violently grinding its teeth into his flesh. She spun around, wrapped the chain across her shoulders and wrenched. He couldn’t even catch a breath. Her fist slammed into his face. The chain shredded his skin. His head bounced off the deck. His cry reverberated off the bulkhead. Rios winced and Raffi turned her face away. Both of them paralyzed, their feet cemented in place.

His hands slippery with blood and the salty taste of it in his mouth, Elnor heroically rose to his knees and met the intruder’s eyes. She was surrounded by a blurry aura that pulsated with each thump of his heart. Every breath he took burned his throat and shot searing pain through his entire body.

She held his _tan qalanq._ His blood dripped from its handle as she pointed it at him.

“I believe you are the one who must now choose,” she said and the fiery light in her eyes flared up.

_The anger erupted from his core with the ferocity of a volcano. It smothered his fear, his self-doubt, and his pain. It flooded through his body igniting an explosion of strength and courage, unlike anything he had ever felt before._

Ignoring the echo of his own warning, he stood up. His dark eyes burned with determination to reclaim his weapon as he launched himself at her. She had eliminated her target and was no longer amused. With two more savage strikes, she brutally put him down again. He pushed himself onto all fours, refusing to surrender. She grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked his head back with such force, she nearly broke his neck. He felt the edge of his sword cut into his throat.

She bent down and he could feel her lips brush his ear. “This has been fun but I need to go now and I cannot have you giving me any more trouble." Her voice was soft, almost sensual and her warm breath on his skin made him shiver. She squeezed the sword tighter against him and then all he heard was the sound of his blood rushing in his ears.

_The last of his strength went to fighting back the tears. He failed to protect his friends and now he would be executed with his beloved tan qalanq but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing him cry._

"Naseema?"

Still holding the blade to Elnor's throat, the intruder sought out the person who spoke her name.

_Of all the people aboard all the ships in all the galaxy, his was a face she had not expected to see._

Affectionate recognition filled her eyes. "Jean-Luc."

Elnor looked at the man who stood beside Rios, flanked by Soji. The expression on Picard's face was one of horrified astonishment. Soji clutched his arm, her eyes were wide and alarmed.

_He had let them all down and now they would watch him die._

He felt the blade relinquish his life back to him and the intruder loosened her grip on his hair. Then she brought the hilt of the _tan qalanq_ down on his skull and everything went black.


	3. No Winners Here

When Elnor regained consciousness, he was on the bed in the medical bay. Agnes was standing over him fussing with a cut above his eye. The lights hurt his eyes and he closed them again. He heard voices. Most of the crew were in the room and the shadowy intruder was there too. She was arguing with Picard.

“I am aware of how it looked, Jean-Luc, but I was not going to kill him,” she insisted.

“Yeah, sure you weren’t,” Raffi derided. Rios stood beside her warily glancing between the two women.

The intruder shot her a look. “I have claimed the life I came here to take,” she snapped as the feathers at her hairline rose like hackles. “I had no reason to take another.”

“Why did you kill that man?” Picard asked. “He was just a passenger.”

Emil was attempting to clean the gash across the intruder’s face but she kept swatting him away. He finally just handed her the cloth with an exasperated huff.

“I was paid to kill him,” she replied using the cloth to clean Elnor’s blood from her hands instead.

Picard was dumbfounded. “Pardon?”

“He was not who you believed he was,” she said. “He was a member of one of the largest trafficking cartels in the quadrant and I have been tracking his movements for weeks. I am sorry I caused such an uproar but this was the best opportunity for me to eliminate him. I did not anticipate the level of resistance I encountered.”

“I don’t think that’s what his problem is,” Rios interjected.

“Somebody paid you to kill him?!” Picard was appalled.

“I am so sorry you are disappointed by that,” the intruder clipped sarcastically.

Picard brought his hand to his forehead and turned away from her. “Naseema, I-I am still trying to process the fact that you’re alive. You are going to have to give me a minute before you jump down my throat, please.”

_Naseema_.

Elnor recognized that name. Picard told him stories about her when he was a child. He opened his eyes again and turned his head to look at her.

_She certainly wasn’t the creature he imagined based on Picard’s flattering recollections of her._

“And you thought the Rangers were taking the law into their own hands,” Raffi said to Picard. He then shot her a look similar to the one she received from Naseema who noticed Elnor was awake.

“See, he is fine,” she said as she turned her eyes to the humans. “I told you I did not hit him that hard.”

“You mutilated him,” Agnes retorted unimpressed by Naseema’s refusal to acknowledge the damage she inflicted.

Raffi came over and leaned over him. “Are you okay, honey?” she asked.

He nodded even though it made his head pound. “What is she still doing here?” he asked, his tone laden with venom.

“Well, she’s an old friend of JL’s,” Raffi told him. “Apparently.”

He sat up, wavering slightly as the blood rushed away from his battered face and Raffi gently steadied him as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.

_His head throbbed with each heartbeat. He couldn’t breathe through his nose. He knew he’d just taken the beating of his life and as he looked at the person who gave it to him, he couldn’t help but feel ashamed. She hardly looked like she could squash a beetle. He was angry too. The feeling lingered in his belly as if he’d swallowed a stone. She had savagely taken a life aboard the ship he protected._

“You murdered that man,” he said, his eyes and tone full of contempt.

“Yes, I did,” she replied and turned to Picard again. “If we are going to have an inquisition, can I at least have a drink?”

Picard sighed and looked at Raffi who, in turn, looked at Rios. He also sighed and went to the replicator just outside the room. Soji lingered by the table with the hospitality hologram quietly observing the ongoing conversation.

“Gin!” Naseema called after Rios. She could feel Elnor’s eyes burning a hole in her so she finally turned to him again. “It was nothing personal,” she said politely.

“Profiting on someone’s death is despicable,” he spat.

She glared back at him. “That man was the lowest kind of scum that exists. I would have gladly taken his life for free.”

“Is-is that what you do now?” Picard asked, incredulous. “You’re an assassin?”

“Jean-Luc, it is not as if I accept any contract presented to me. The lives I take are ones that destroy others. If their business competitors are stupid enough to pay me to kill them who am I to argue,” she patiently replied. “At least it is latinum they will be unable to use to further their criminal activities.”

“You use it to further your criminal activities,” Elnor scornfully remarked.

“You do not have any idea what you are talking about,” she snapped back.

Picard’s face fell into a despondent expression. “Naseema, what has happened to you?”

“A lot,” she said. Rios came over and handed her a glass. She downed the contents in one breath and handed it back. “Thank you.”

Still scowling, Elnor studied her for a minute.

_He could see that her outward bravado was a facade. Her words said one thing but she was overcompensating with her body language, and she radiated energy that told him she was deeply damaged on the inside._

She looked over at him. “If you have anything further to say then by all means say it,” she told him. “There is nothing quite as obnoxious as a wordless glare.”

The others all exchanged glances. It had to be the first time anyone ever accused Elnor of not speaking his mind and most of them found it obnoxious when he didn’t shut up.

He eyed her up and down but held his tongue.

“I can see that you are angry,” she said coolly. “I doubt that it has anything to do with the life I took so if it will make you stop staring at me, I am sorry I kicked your ass. You are obviously not used to that.”

Elnor’s eyes widened with shock and he felt his ears getting hot as his ire spiked. He moved to get off the bed but Agnes and Raffi stopped him.

“She’s not worth it,” Raffi said.

_A part of him didn’t care if she pulverized him. He was angry. Angry at Naseema for mocking him and for her casual attitude about killing for profit. He was angry at himself too. For his arrogance, for his failure, and for his excitement at the challenge she presented. He knew she could have killed him immediately but instead, she wore him down, and then when she had him, she made him believe she would kill him with his own weapon. It was humiliating and he was angry at that too._

He relaxed back on the bed and lowered his eyes as his cheeks flushed.

_Also angry he couldn’t think of anything to say to shut her up._

She watched his reaction and her features unexpectedly softened.

_She felt guilty for embarrassing him. He put up an excellent fight and he had to understand if she wanted to kill him, she would have done so immediately. Perhaps he did understand and that was why he was angry. He knew she toyed with him, used him to lure her target out. Or maybe he was angrier with himself than her. He was an excellent swordsman but it was obvious he was far too used to winning._

“I realize none of you are obligated to accede to my request but I would like to have a private word with Elnor,” she said.

Everyone in the room turned to Picard. He scanned the skeptical expressions of the crew before finally saying, “That isn’t up to me.”

All eyes then fell on the young Romulan. He looked at Picard first and saw no concern, then turned back to Naseema. “It’s fine.”

The humans all hesitantly exited the room, leaving the sword fighters alone, except for Emil.

“You may leave as well,” Naseema said to the hologram who looked insulted but complied with her less-than-polite request. She refocused her attention back on Elnor, folded her hands in her lap, and sighed. “I am sorry,” she said with a sincerity he hadn’t expected. “It was not my intention to show you up in front of your crew and I want you to understand that it was in no way personal. I did not enjoy inflicting your injuries.”

He tried to maintain eye contact with her but found he couldn’t.

_What did she expect him to say? It’s alright? It didn’t hurt that much? Neither of those things was true and why did she want to speak to him alone? To chastise him for forcing her to beat him unconscious? To spare him the humiliation of another audience? He didn’t want her pity. He wanted her to leave. He was so angry he wanted to scream._

She leaned forward to catch his eyes. “You are a very gifted swordsman and it has been a long time since I have encountered such a worthy opponent as yourself. Are you former Tal Shiar?” she asked.

With a horrified look, he replied, “No!”

“You need not be so touchy,” she told him gently. “It was not intended as an insult.”

He eyed her for a second and relaxed his standoffish posture. “I am Qowat Milat.”

Her eyebrows went up in surprise. “Really? Well, that certainly explains your prowess with a blade,” she said. “Although, I will admit you are the first of your gender I have encountered.”

“Have you fought a Qowat Milat before?” he asked.

“Once or twice,” she replied.

“Did they beat you?”

“No.”

He sighed. “I guess I don’t feel quite so stupid now.”

"There is no reason to feel stupid, Elnor. I have lost fights as well and it is not as though I walked away scot-free. Look what you did to my face," she said, almost laughing as she pointed to the ugly gash.

“I didn’t enjoy doing that,” he replied, retaining his steely composure.

Her eyebrow went up again. “So, you understand after all.”

He lowered his eyes and she leaned back in her seat. “I can see that you are punishing yourself. It is unnecessary. I gave you no indication that I only intended to take Mr. Sutcliffe’s life. You were defending your crew and you performed that task admirably. I admire your bravery and had I known what a formidable opponent you would be, I perhaps would have waited for another opportunity to eliminate my target.”

“I underestimated you,” he admitted.

“And I, you,” she said with a sympathetic smile. “I believe we both learned something from each other today.”

He couldn’t help but agree with her and nodded.

_She taught him a painful but valuable lesson. He would never again make the mistake of assessing an opponent solely on their size and appearance._

“I appreciate your understanding,” she said.

“I still don’t agree with killing for profit,” he reminded her.

“Most people do not and despite what you may believe, I do not kill with impunity nor am I proud of what I do,” she told him.

“Then why do you do it?” he asked.

She paused for a few seconds before she let out a burdened sigh. “Sometimes things happen to a person through the course of their life. Things that cause them to veer away from the path they had not intended to stray from,” she replied. “It happens more frequently than you might imagine, especially when you live most of your life by the blade, as I have.”

He didn’t miss the trace of sadness in her voice.

_He knew she saw the similarities between them and she was trying to caution him about dedicating too much of himself to violence. He wasn’t angry anymore. He could see how much she loathed herself and he felt sorry for her._

“The man I killed,” she continued. “He was a slave trader and did not deserve your protection. I hope you can accept that.” She rose to her feet. “I am sorry for the manner in which our duel ended and I hope that if we should cross paths again, it will be under better circumstances.”

“You don’t have to live the way you do. You have a choice,” he said as she moved towards the door and she stopped.

“It is too late for me but you are still young,” she replied. “Do not let that beautiful sword become your life. Goodbye, Elnor, of the Qowat Milat.”

He watched her leave and Picard approached her. They went towards the stairs together and Naseema stopped to instruct the hospitality hologram to save Sutcliffe’s head because she needed it to collect her bounty. Agnes came into the medical bay and went back to closing the cut over his eye.

“Everybody knows you tried your best and nobody thinks less of you,” she said quietly. “I just want you to know that.”

He sighed. “She didn’t want to hurt me but I didn’t give her much choice.”

“What did she say to you?” Agnes asked.

“She told me she was sorry for what happened and that she admired my bravery,” he replied.

“We all admire your bravery,” Agnes told him.

“She also told me not to let my sword become my whole life,” he added and finally turned his eyes to the pretty cyberneticist.

“Words to live by, I guess,” she said. “Although, I’m not sure how much advice I’d take from an assassin for hire.”

“She hates herself.”

Agnes paused briefly and looked back at him. “Honestly, I think I’d be more afraid of her if she didn’t.”


	4. The Justification

Picard poured Naseema a drink as soon as they reached the study and motioned for her to sit down. She accepted both offers, gulped the drink down, and looked at him. She could see in his eyes how close to losing his temper he was.

"I am going to ask you, and I want the truth here," he said calmly. "Were you going to kill Elnor?"

"No," she replied, and Picard's eyebrow went up. She sighed. "I do not know. Maybe?"

He gave her a hard stare.

“He did not give me much choice,” she said. “He would not stay down.”

"I've heard some terrible excuses from you in the past, but that one takes the cake," Picard told her with the reprimanding tone she remembered from their _Enterprise_ days.

"Well, I did not kill him so, what do you want from me?" she asked, determined not to slip back into her past life and kowtow to his authority.

“If all you needed to do was get him out of the way, why did you drag it out for so long?” he asked, holding his cold stare. “I have seen you fight before. I know you could have easily put him down as soon as he confronted you. Why did you engage him?”

She glared at him for a few seconds before she dropped her eyes. "I wanted to see his moves, and I let myself get carried away," she finally admitted. "He is a beautiful fighter."

"So, you lured him into a duel he had no hope of winning because you were bored," Picard said, and the anger in his voice became obvious.

“I would not say _bored_ ,” she replied.

"Then what would you say?!" he finally shouted. "Were you even listening to Dr. Jurati?! You broke his ribs and his nose, you flayed most of the skin from his wrist with that-that-archaic torture device! This isn't feudal Japan, Naseema! What you did went well beyond winning a duel! It was barbaric!"

Her face hardened, and she looked at him venomously. "He needed a good fucking scare, Jean-Luc. He is arrogant and engaged me, not just aiming to win but _assuming_ he would win. That is a dangerous attitude for anyone to have never mind someone as young and inexperienced as he is. It will get him killed.”

Picard’s eyes widened with shocked indignation. “Are you actually trying to justify what you did?”

About to lash out at him again, she opened her mouth but stopped herself. She hung her head and sighed. "No, and I am sorry for what I did. I did not intend for things to get so out of hand, but when I saw that son of a-" she paused and took a deep breath to calm herself down. "When I saw Mr. Sutcliffe, I snapped and lost control."

Picard folded his arms across his chest. "Why exactly would Mr. Sutcliffe cause you to lose control to the point where you felt it necessary to literally, rip his head off, and then brutalize Elnor?"

She looked up to meet his eyes. He was still staring at her with a cold bitterness.

_She knew that look. She hated that look. It was more than anger, it was a disappointment, and nobody knew how to use disappointment as a weapon quite as he did._

"Alvin Sutcliffe was a monster. A disgusting, despicable animal who deserved worse than what he got," she said. "I deeply regret what I did to your boy, but I will not apologize for that."

"I'm not looking for an apology, Naseema, but I cannot ignore a brutal murder, and neither can Mr. Rios," he replied harshly.

“If you are concerned about retribution, you need not be,” she told him. “Nobody is going to come looking for Mr. Sutcliffe.”

"That is not the point," he argued. "You boarded a neutral vessel without permission. You savagely murdered one man and violently assaulted another in front of witnesses. I would be surprised if Mr. Rios is not contacting the Fenris Rangers as we speak."

“Jean-Luc-”

"No!" he insisted forcefully. "There is nothing you can say to me at this point that will justify what has happened here tonight. There are legal avenues to deal with whatever Mr. Sutcliffe did that put a price on his head. Killing him to fulfill a contract is unconscionable! You are the only monster I see here, and you should be ashamed of yourself! Data would be horrified at what you've let yourself become!"

The look in her eyes turned dark as she stood up. “You do not say his name to me!” she screamed.

Picard immediately regretted his last statement and held his hands up in a peaceful gesture. “Naseema, I’m sorry, that was over the line.”

She took several deep breaths as they stared at each other. When she finally spoke, her voice was far softer than it had been since the beginning of their conversation. "Alvin Sutcliffe was the worst kind of predator in existence. When I shadowed him at the market earlier today, I did not realize it was you with the group, but I did see how he looked at that boy, and I knew what he was going to do. I was in a position to stop it from happening, so I took the opportunity. I did not anticipate being confronted by your bodyguard."

“Stop what from happening?” Picard asked as an unpleasant knot appeared in his gut.

“He kept a small pharmacy in his travel bag,” she replied. “Euphoric-uninhibitors, memory impairments, narcotic sedatives, paralytics. If you do not believe me, feel free to see for yourself. He liked teenage boys. He would have waited until everyone was asleep and then-” She couldn’t even finish her sentence and closed her eyes as if she were in pain.

Picard’s eyes widened with horror. “My god,” he said, barely above a whisper.

"Mr. Rios needs to vet his passengers more carefully," she added and then met Picard's stare again.

“Does Elnor know?” he asked.

"I do not see how he could," she replied. "I certainly did not tell him, and I do not see why he needs to be informed."

Picard rubbed the back of his neck. “Naseema, why didn’t you turn him over to the proper authorities?”

She looked at him like he was a complete fool. “Are you serious? Do you really believe that nobody has tried that? These people are untouchable, Jean-Luc. They have money and power, and they do whatever they like until somebody else hires me to kill them.”

Picard gaped at her, not sure what to say.

_What a horrendous situation this was. As long as he'd known her, Naseema always had a hair-trigger when it came to monsters like Alvin Sutcliffe. He hardly felt like he could judge the deeply ingrained responses of a fifteen hundred-year-old being who had seen and experienced traumas he couldn't even imagine, but how could she have let herself descend into this life? This wasn't the twentieth century anymore. Humanity had risen above such depravity as contract killing, and he honestly believed she had as well._

He finally sighed and dropped his eyes to the floor. "Why are you doing this to yourself? This isn't you. You're better than this."

"Look, Jean-Luc, I know we were close, and I can see you are disappointed, but I have lived this way for the better part of my life, and at the end of the day, it is all I know how to do," she replied, her eyes starting to fill up with tears. "I need to make a living."

“I don’t believe that,” he said. “You have plenty of other skills. What about music? That used to work pretty well for you.”

Her tears broke free and ran down her face. “I haven’t played a note in twenty years.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were still alive?” he asked sadly. “I would have been there for you.”

She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. “I just could not do it. I could not go back to that life, not without him.”

“Where have you been living?” he asked, as he got her another drink.

“Black City.”

"On Rieturn Four?" he asked, a little horrified.

“That would be the one,” she confirmed.

“That place is a lawless gangland, Naseema,” he said, more than just a little horrified now.

“It is an excellent place to hide when you do not want anyone to know you are alive,” she told him. “The best way to be a ghost is to live like one.”

“Does anyone know you’re still alive?”

She shrugged. “As far as I know, only you.”

“I suppose it would probably be pointless to try convincing you to come out of the shadows,” he said.

"I do not think that would be possible even if I wanted to," she admitted. "I have made powerful enemies in the last two decades, and I live with a perpetual target on my back. If I were to attempt to reemerge, I would be placing lives not my own at risk."

“I could help you,” Picard said. “We could secure Federation protection for you.”

“There are other complications,” she replied. “I cannot control my abilities the way I once could. I have become unstable and dangerous. I cannot be around other people anymore.”

He let out a loud sigh of failure. “Perhaps, if you stopped drinking the way you do.”

“It is the only thing that seems to keep the predator at bay anymore,” she said mournfully. “I am too far gone, Jean-Luc. You cannot help me, nor should you try.”

Picard nodded and looked at her for a moment as he felt a nostalgic pang. “I’ve missed you.”

Her face crumpled, and she couldn't meet his eyes. "I have missed you too."

“What are you going to do now?” he asked, his expression becoming concerned.

She took a deep breath. "I am going to take Mr. Sutcliffe's head and disappear," she replied. "Tell Mr. Rios to do whatever he believes is necessary to keep himself out of trouble. If you all could manage to avoid giving anyone an accurate description of me, if anyone even cares that Alvin Sutcliffe is dead, I would appreciate it."

Picard sighed. "Alright, if that's what you want, I'll do my best to make sure your secret is safe.”

“Thank you.”

She nodded and headed for the door but stopped as she reached it and looked over her shoulder at him. "I am sorry for what has happened here, and I hope you will never have to see me again."

He nodded at her this time but caught her just before she was gone. “Naseema, if you change your mind, please don’t hesitate to find me,” he told her.

“Thank you.”

Once he was alone, he poured himself a drink.

_He couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with sadness at what she had become. He could see it in her eyes, the vibrant, gentle ambassador he knew was gone. She died with Data, and what was left was a pale ghost hiding in the dark and falling back on the one thing she excelled at but hated the most about herself. Her ability to kill._

He only got about four minutes of solitude before Raffi came barging into the room with Rios, and Agnes right behind her.

“Are you for real?” Raffi asked, incredulous. “You’re just going to let her walk away with some guy’s head in a bag?”

“If you would care to stop her, by all means,” Picard retorted.

Raffi and Rios exchanged a look.

"Well, the phasers don't work, and the kid was our best chance. Do you have any other ideas?" he asked her.

She stared back at him and sighed with frustration. “No.”

“How do you even know her anyway?” Agnes asked Picard. “She’s what, like, sixteen?”

Picard chuckled. "Dr. Jurati, appearances can be very deceiving. That woman is more than fifteen hundred years old.”

The other three all traded glances.

“Did she give you a reason for whatever the hell that was downstairs?” Raffi asked. “It was terrifying. Elnor almost died right in front of us.”

“I am not prepared to discuss what she said to me,” he replied.

Raffi stared at him, dumbfounded. Rios threw his hands up and turned around while Agnes looked at Picard sympathetically.

“If you ask her to turn herself in, she’ll do it,” she said.

"No, she won't," Picard replied. "She's not the same person I knew. There is nothing we can do to stop her from leaving, and we risk further harm if we try."

“I guess that's that, then," Rios said with exasperation and cursed under his breath.

“This is bullshit!” Raffi declared.

Picard looked back and forth between Raffi and Rios. “You two need to stop treating me like an old man. If you had awakened me right away, this entire situation likely could have been avoided.”

“So, Elnor wouldn’t be black and blue, and Sutcliffe would still be alive?” Raffi retorted sarcastically.

"Well, perhaps not entirely," Picard said, amending his prior statement. "She definitely would have killed Mr. Sutcliffe, but Elnor would certainly be in better shape."

“He’s going to be alright, by the way,” Agnes interjected politely and looked around the group.

Something about her assurance made Picard suddenly withdraw. "Excuse me," he said and immediately left the room. He went down to the lower level toward the crew quarters and glanced in the medical bay on his way past. Soji was with Elnor and Emil. She stood silent with her arms across her chest, facing Elnor, who was still sitting on the bed, looking at his lap. Emil was busying himself with something related to the young Romulan's treatment. Picard continued down the hall until he reached the cabin Alvin Sutcliffe had been staying in. He went inside and found the travel bag. He placed it on the bed, took a deep breath, and opened it. He pulled out each item until he found what he sincerely hoped he wouldn't.

The small green bag contained several hyposprays and vials. Picard removed one, put it in his pocket, and zipped the bag closed again. He put everything back into the travel bag and returned it to its original spot. Then he went back to the medical bay. He asked Emil to test the vial.

“It’s a succinylcholine derivative,” the EMH informed him a few minutes later. “It’s a paralytic used during surgery.”

Picard nodded.

_He wanted to be sick. He still didn't like that she had killed the man, but he understood why she agreed to do it._

As he approached the bed, Soji looked over at him and read the expression on his face. Then she leaned forward and touched Elnor’s knee.

“I’ll see you later,” she told him.

He nodded slightly without saying anything and watched her leave the room. Then he sighed.

_He didn’t want her to pay attention to him because she felt sorry for him but figured he should take what he could get._

Picard stood in front of him and waited until he had his eyes. Then, in a very uncharacteristic display of affection, he stepped forward and hugged him. Elnor was surprised by the gesture but not unhappy about it. He accepted the embrace and reciprocated.

_He would definitely take what he could get this time._


	5. The Plan

She made it almost halfway back to Rieturn Four when her second thoughts about what Picard said to her forced her to turn around and head back to _La Sirena_. As she approached the freighter, she could see another, slightly larger vessel next to it and realized the two ships were tractor-locked. She slowed her tiny, cloaked star-runner and watched for a minute. The larger ship was armoured and had sizable ordnance. She tried to scan Rios' ship, but her sensors were blocked. She frowned with concern.

_This, cannot be good._

She brought the star-runner to a halt just inside transporter range and grabbed the extra badge, putting it in her pocket. Then she beamed herself over to _La Sirena_ and crept towards the cargo bay. Making sure she stayed out of sight, she saw three Sulibans milling around the crew who were packed into stasis pods.

_She knew this was very bad. The Sulibans were all enhanced mercenaries, and it was likely there were more elsewhere on the ship. She only knew one boss who employed guys like this, and she shuddered. She wouldn't be able to take all of them herself. Maybe she should hide and wait to see where they took the crew or head back to her ship, and follow...wait...she counted the pods. Someone was missing. Elnor._

She went back the way she came and headed toward the personal quarters of the crew.

_Maybe she had arrived before they rounded everyone up and Elnor was still in his cabin...or maybe, she was too late, and he was dead. She had to make sure. If he was alright, he would be exactly the extra hand she would need to save Jean-Luc and the others._

Sneaking through the ship for the second time in as many days, she hoped she found the right cabin. The goons she saw in the cargo bay were extremely dangerous, and she needed to get to the young Qowat Milat before they did. Thankfully, the door was unlocked, and she slipped inside. Moving towards the bed without making a sound, she saw the outline of someone under the blanket.

_Please let it be him._

As she reached the head of the bed, she could see the long, dark hair spread across the pillow.

_Thank god._

She lunged forward, clamped her hand over his mouth and dragged him towards the edge of the mattress. His eyes flew open, and he grabbed her with both hands. She put her finger to her lips and let him go.

“Get up, now!” she whispered.

Understandably, he made a face that said _what the fuck_?! Then they both heard unfamiliar voices in the hallway. He looked at her wide-eyed, and she grabbed him, hauled him out of bed, and shoved him towards the closet.

“You need to hide,” she told him as she opened the door and pushed him in. “Do not make a sound.” He still looked confused and alarmed but didn’t argue with her and let her shut the door. Then she quickly raced back over to the bed, straightened the blankets so it wouldn’t be obvious someone had just been there, retrieved the _tan qalanq_ leaning against the headboard, and wiggled underneath the bed. She held her breath as the goons came in and took a quick look around the room.

“Nobody is staying in here, let's go," one said to the other.

She waited until she heard them heading to the cargo bay before she dragged herself out from under the bed. She went straight to the closet and opened the door. She thrust his sword at him.

“What is wrong with you?!” he asked in a loud whisper.

She completely ignored his question. “Where are the escape pods on this ship?”

Elnor looked back at her and blinked, but before he could respond, she suddenly jerked her head away and perked her ears. He watched as her eyes got wide, and then she abruptly shoved him backward and got into the closet as well. She listened for another few minutes, shushed him anytime he tried to speak, and as soon as she was confident no one was there, she eased the door open. She scanned the room quickly and then motioned for him to follow her.

She looked him up and down. "You need to get dressed." She moved over to the cabin door as he grabbed his clothes and went into the bathroom. When he came out, she turned to look at him, and her face fell. "You cannot wear that."

He looked down at himself. “I don’t have anything else to wear.”

“That is far too obvious and will attract unwanted attention,” she told him.

“Attract unwanted attention where?” he demanded. “You need to tell me what is happening.”

She stared at him for a few seconds before answering. “Everyone else on board has been put in stasis and taken to the ship that is now towing this one back to god knows where.”

Elnor was horrified. “We have to help them!”

“We will, but we cannot do that right now," she told him. "These guys are biologically enhanced mercenaries, believe me, we will not be able to take them all without a plan."

“So, what's the plan?"

“To get the fuck out of here and come up with a plan.”

“I can’t do that,” Elnor insisted.

"Look, I realize that you have no reason to trust me, but if you stay here, they will find you eventually and either kill you or put you in stasis as well. These are scary fucking people, Elnor. I do not wish for anything to happen to Jean-Luc or any of the others any more than you do,” she said. “We can get them back, but we are going to need each other to do that."

He looked at her as he quickly contemplated, and reluctantly agreed. “Alright.”

She nodded. “Good. Now go take those clothes off, I will find you something else to wear.”

He sighed with frustration but agreed. Naseema slipped out of the room, and when she returned a few minutes later, she tossed some of Rios' clothes at him.

"Put these on," she instructed. He complied, and then they snuck out into the hallway. She hurried down to the cabin Sutcliffe had been staying in, and Elnor followed her inside. She found the man's small travel bag and took it.

“So you’re a thief too,” the young Romulan observed.

“Elnor, he is dead,” she replied curtly. “Now, do you know where the escape pods are?”

“Yes.”

She looked at him with irritation and motioned for him to precede her. He scanned the hallway, and then they disappeared around the nearest corner. They only made it partway to their destination before there was a loud bang, and they plunged into total darkness.

“Perfect.”

They found the wall, and Elnor touched her hand to make sure she was right beside him. Then he crept along the wall, feeling his way to where the escape pods were as she followed him. He stopped dead in his tracks when she suddenly grazed his arm deliberately. He knew she heard or felt something. She took his hand and used her finger to draw signals on his palm. The first to indicate there was someone behind them and the second to tell him there was only one. Then she pressed her hand against his scabbard. He pulled his weapon and stepped away from the wall. He heard the shuffling of feet on the deck. Then he heard Naseema's voice.

“Now!”

He swung his blade and felt her slide past his leg at the same time. Then he sliced through someone’s neck, hearing the head hit the floor after the body. He stepped back towards the wall and felt her touch his foot. He took her hand and led her back toward him so they could continue with their escape.

_He noticed her hands were unusually warm, and he could feel...something else...as if a person’s aura were tangible. Maybe that was what he saw during their fight._

“I cannot believe that worked!” she whispered.

“You didn’t know if that would work?” he whispered back.

She chuckled. “I was counting on you having perfect form, and you did not let me down."

_She could hear him roll his eyes._

They finally found the escape pods, and Naseema sent one out empty and then crammed into the other one next to Elnor. They waited until the attacking ship fired on the empty pod and used the explosion to disguise their escape. She set coordinates to her little star-runner and turned to her companion.

"You are not claustrophobic, are you?" she asked.

“I don’t know what that is,” he replied.

“Become anxious in confined spaces?”

He glanced around the pod and then gave her a look. “Not until you brought it up!”

She laughed. “I am the same way with doctors.”

"You're afraid of doctors?" he asked, dumbfounded. "Considering how you live, that's a little strange, and if you don't like them, who healed your face?"

“It healed on its own,” she said.

“That fast?”

She nodded.

“That’s amazing!” he declared. He turned his body toward hers. _He was interested now._ "How did you know someone was following us?"

“I could smell him,” she told him. “Those biological enhancements alter their chemistry and create a distinctive smell. Those enhancements are also why they shut all the lights off. They can see better in the dark than we can.”

“I still can’t believe you did what you did,” he said. “I could have taken your head off.”

She laughed again. "Perhaps. I was pretty confident you would not deviate from your form, though."

“There’s no way you could know that,” he insisted. “We’ve only fought once.”

“I can tell quite a bit about you from one fight,” she said, arching an eyebrow.

“Like what?”

"You always tell the truth. You are a little vain but quite devout in your faith, and you are sweet on that dark-haired android girl," she said. "Shall I continue?"

He gaped at her. “I am not vain!”

She shook her head at him. "Vain is the one thing I am positive of, but I notice you chose to dispute that rather than my allegation regarding the dark-haired girl."

His whole face flushed, and she broke into a huge smile. "That is adorable."

“Her name is Soji,” he said, admitting defeat.

“Is she aware of your feelings?”

"Probably, but I don't know for certain," he replied. "I haven't told her if that's what you mean."

“Too shy?” she asked gently.

He nodded. “She avoids me. I remind her of the man she thought loved her and who tried to kill her.”

Naseema scrunched her nose up. “That is unfortunate.”

Elnor nodded again and looked in her eyes. “How did you know she was an android?”

“My species can hear the thoughts of synthetic brains,” she replied. “If it is any consolation, she was very upset when she believed I was going to kill you.”

A small smile appeared on his face, and he flushed again. "I am not sure I believe you, but thank you."

“It is the truth," she told him, looking away. "They are special creatures. I loved one once too.”

“I know.”

She met his eyes again. “I suppose Jean-Luc told you that.”

“Yes, but I won’t ask you anything about it unless you want me to. I can see it hurts you to talk about it,” he said and watched as she quickly wiped the few stray tears from her face.

“You would think after twenty years, I could at least say his name but-" she sighed.

“Is that why you live as if your life doesn’t matter to you?” he asked.

“That is a loaded question,” she replied. “Why do you assume my life does not matter to me?”

“I can only assume that someone who has such disregard for lives they do not deem _worthy_ , probably feels the same way about themselves to some extent,” he said.

She arched an eyebrow at him. “That is quite an assumption to make.”

“You have a casual attitude about killing, and you do it as a paid service," he insisted. “In my mind, one would have to be either completely devoid of empathy or full of self-loathing to do that, and I don't believe you're devoid of empathy."

She studied him for a minute before responding. “Apparently, I am not the only one here capable of gleaning insight about an opponent from a single confrontation.”

“You had multiple opportunities to take my life, but you didn't even threaten it until the very end when I refused to surrender," he continued. "I was angry and embarrassed at first, but I understand now that you were trying to teach me a lesson, and you weren’t wrong. I am used to winning.”

“No, I should never have done what I did, and I had no right to teach you anything of the sort,” she said. “I allowed my anger to control me and tried to justify it by convincing myself that you needed to learn some sort of lesson. It was wrong.”

He looked at her a little surprised. “So, you were going to kill me?”

"I do not know," she replied. "Alvin Sutcliffe was a terrible person, and I do not regret killing him, but I allowed myself to become so enraged when I saw him that I was unable to turn it off once he was dead. I then focused that rage on you.”

“I would think somebody who does what you do would have better emotional control,” he said.

“Yes, well, nobody is perfect.”

“How does one find themselves murdering people for money, anyway?” he asked.

“That is a very long story,” she replied.

He raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m not going anywhere.”

She gave him a look and sighed. “Do you know how old I am?”

“Is that a trick question?”

She rolled her eyes. “No, it is not a trick question.”

“Picard used to tell me stories about you when I was little," he answered. "He said you were very old, but he didn't specify an exact number."

“That was very polite of him,” she chuckled. “I am one thousand five hundred and fifty-three.”

His eyes widened. “That _is_ old!”

"When I first found myself with humans in the ninth century, Earth was a violent place," she told him. "Women did not have rights, and as a single female travelling alone, learning to kill was a matter of survival. As I am stronger and faster than humans, it did not take me long to become good at it."

"I'm good at it too, but that doesn't mean I would do it for money," he argued.

"Alright, let us say you are travelling and you need to get from one place to another, and you cannot walk there. How will you do it?”

“Find a means of transportation,” he replied assuredly.

"You have found a ship that can take you, but you do not have any money," she continued. "How will you pay for your ride?"

He thought for a second. “Trade?”

“What do you have to trade?” she smirked as she watched his lip curl up while he thought again.

“I don’t have anything to trade,” he said with disappointment.

“Skills can be traded,” she suggested. “What skills do you have that would be of value to others?”

"I can cook, and I can sew," he replied. "I can chop firewood, and I can do housework. I’m good at chores.”

She looked at him and shook her head disdainfully. “You would have made an excellent wife in the ninth century.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. "If you're just going to make fun of me, then I don't want to talk to you."

“I am sorry,” she apologized, softening her expression. “You are right, that was not nice.”

He eyed her for a few seconds. “Continue.”

"Those are all excellent skills to have, but they will only get you so far," she said. "People like me and you can do the work of an entire posse, by ourselves. That is an extremely specialized skill to have, and it is worth a lot to the right people. Your ability to kill will always be the most valuable skill you have."

“I would never kill for money,” he told her completely stone-faced.

“It rarely starts with money, and it happens a lot easier than you think.”

“I will always give another the choice to live.”

“Even if you know they will continue to leave a path of destruction in their wake?” she asked.

“That is not for me to decide,” he affirmed.

She eyed him briefly. "I am not sure if I believe that, but I sincerely hope you prove me wrong."

He stared back at her and snorted indignantly. Then the control panel beeped.

“There is my ship,” she said as she pulled the extra badge out of her pocket and handed it to him. "Put this on it is time to get out of this tin can into a slightly larger tin can."

"Wonderful," he sighed sarcastically. She rolled her eyes as she transported them to the star-runner.

Once aboard her ship, Naseema went straight for the replicator. "I need a drink," she muttered, and as soon as it appeared, she took a long gulp.

“I have never seen anybody drink alcohol the way you do,” he observed. “It can’t be healthy.”

She gave him a sideways glance. “I feel this is going to be a very long trip." She sat in the pilot's chair, and he sat in the seat next to her.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

“To follow your ship to wherever it is going,” she replied without looking at him. She fiddled with the control panel and then sat back to look at him. “So tell me, Elnor, how did you end up cruising the galaxy on a cargo ship?”

“I am Picard’s _qalankhkai_ ,” he replied.

“I see, and what made you join the Qowat Milat?” she asked. “Is your mother one?”

“No, my parents are dead,” he told her. “I was relocated to Vashti before the supernova. The sisters there took me in and raised me.”

She frowned sadly. “Do you remember your parents?”

"Not really," he said. "Sometimes, I think I can remember my mother's voice or certain smells will be familiar, but I don't know why." Then he looked at her curiously. “Did you have parents?”

“No, it is pretty rare for an energy-based entity to have parents,” she replied.

“Where are the rest of your kind?”

She sighed heavily. “I have not encountered another Feeonix in twenty years. I believe they may all be dead.”

“You’re the only one left?” he asked with surprise.

“Sadly, it is quite possible I am the last unicorn,” she replied with an uncomfortable shrug.

“Oh.”

_He didn't know what a unicorn was, but he could tell she didn't want to discuss it further, so he didn't ask her to explain. He worried a little about what he'd gotten himself into. He knew if he wanted to rescue his friends he would need help, but he wasn't convinced she was the best person to do that. Her self-loathing and depression were obvious, at least to him, and she seemed unstable. He hoped he wasn’t getting in over his head again._

“How is it you came to be acquainted with Jean-Luc Picard?” she asked, desperately wanting to change the subject.

_It hadn't taken her long to realize he was a chatty little thing, and if she could keep him talking, then perhaps he wouldn't be inclined to ask her so many forward questions. She suspected he didn't get as much attention as he needed, and she knew that was going to make for more than a few awkward instances. He seemed like a pleasant enough person, and so far he'd avoided pressing her on subjects she did not want to discuss, but she wasn't used to being in the company of a single person for such a long stretch, and she wasn't sure she was going to be able to keep up the low-key chit chat._

He ended up telling her not only about his nebulous relationship with Picard but also about his traumatizing experience aboard the captured Borg cube known as _The Artifact_.

_She was a little surprised at how easily he opened up to her, but she had to admit, it went a long way to ease her discomfort. He was remarkably candid, and even though it had been a long time since she’d been in the company of someone who spoke so freely, it was a trait she was familiar with. She was starting to like her chatterbox companion._

“Home, sweet, home,” she said as the planet loomed in front of them.

“Where are we?” he asked, staring out the bow of the ship at the dreary, colourless world.

“Rieturn Four,” she replied. “Next stop, Black City.”

He looked over at her, his eyes wide, and nervous. "Is _this_ where you _live_?”

She nodded. "If you think it looks bad from here, just wait until we get to the surface."

He scrunched up his nose and sat back in his seat as she trailed the Suliban ship and the disabled _La Sirena_ into the planet's atmosphere. She wasn't much of a pilot, so the landing was rocky, and once the star-runner came to a stop, he turned to her.

“Is this even your ship, or did you steal it too?” he asked with a skeptical look.

“It is my ship, and if you believe you can do better, you are welcome to take the reins next time,” she clipped. He made a face at her and got up from his chair to follow her out, but before she opened the hatch, she turned to him with a stern expression.

“You need to stay close to me and follow my instructions,” she told him.

He rolled his eyes. “Of course,” he replied with fake enthusiasm. “That’s all I ever get to do.”


	6. Black City

Once they were off the ship, Naseema handed Elnor both the bags she was carrying, and he followed her as she headed for the shipyard office. She stopped as she reached the door and warned him again not to say anything unless she instructed him to. He gave her an exasperated nod and rolled his eyes again once her back turned.

“Stop rolling your eyes,” she snapped over her shoulder.

He was surprised. “How did you-”

She turned around to look at him. "Because I am old, and I have dealt with enough belligerent teenagers to have developed a sixth sense for sass."

“Sixth sense for sass,” he replied with a smirk. “I challenge you to say that five times in a row.”

This time, she rolled her eyes. “Just be quiet.” He shrugged and followed her inside. The office was small, dingy, and unfurnished. A miserable looking Ferengi sat at the counter, shielded by a glass window. Naseema walked up to the man, pulled a few strips of latinum from her pocket, and slid them through the opening in the window.

“Hello, Frooza,” she said pleasantly. “You are looking as handsome as ever.”

The Ferengi looked up at her and smiled, showing off a mouthful of pointed teeth. "Well, gorgeous, I haven't seen you here for a while." He glanced past her at Elnor who stood near the door with the bags and was letting his eyes wander around the room. “Who’s the Vulcan?”

Naseema also glanced at Elnor. "He's a Romulan, and his name does not matter," she replied as she gave Frooza a demure smile.

Frooza shrugged. “If you say so.” Then he eyed her up and down. “Have you given any more thought to having dinner with me one of these nights?”

“I still do not think your wives would appreciate that, so no,” Naseema countered with a smile, and Elnor had to turn his head to hide the fact he almost laughed.

“It's your loss," Frooza replied with a shrug. "My wives live like queens, and I would treat you no differently."

“You should ask your wives to clean your office once in a while," Elnor remarked, and Frooza shot him a dirty look.

Naseema closed her eyes and let out an irritated sigh. “Pay no attention to him, Frooza,” she said. “He has difficulty following instructions.” Elnor made a face at her but kept quiet. “So, where did the Sulibans park that freighter they towed in here?” she asked.

The Ferengi returned his attention to the papers on the counter. "That's the Suliban's business. I don't ask questions, Valkyrie, you know that."

Naseema sighed again but seemed to accept Frooza wasn't going to tell her anything. "See you around, darling," she said, and Frooza nodded without looking up. As soon as they were outside, Naseema glared at Elnor. “What did I tell you about keeping your mouth shut?” she asked pointedly. “You offended him.”

“Is Naseema even your real name?” he shot back. “He called you something else, Val-Valk-”

“Valkyrie," she finished for him. "We are not discussing me at the moment so stop trying to change the subject. He might have given me an answer about your ship if you had kept your commentary to yourself.”

“No, he wouldn’t,” Elnor insisted. “He was done talking once you refused to have dinner with him and what kind of man has multiple wives, and cheats on them?! You can’t possibly trust that guy!”

Naseema stared at him in disbelief for a few seconds. “You really were raised by nuns.” Then she started walking away.

He quickly caught up to her. “What is _that_ supposed to mean?”

“You are not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy,” she replied. “Propositions are a matter of doing business here. Trust does not have anything to do with it.”

“Is Dorothy a girl’s name?” he asked, angrily.

_He was getting tired of her insinuations that he was too feminine._

Naseema stopped walking and stared at him again. “Is that what you took from what I said?” she asked. He stared back at her as he waited for an answer. “I was referring to an old story about a young person who suddenly finds herself in a bizarre new land and must learn to cope with a new set of rules," she told him. "The fact that she is female is incidental. I am not making fun of you, Elnor, settle down.” He narrowed his eyes at her but nodded. She returned his nod cautiously and continued walking. “It is common for Ferengi men to have more than one wife. Frooza is not looking to cheat on his wives. He is interested in adding me to his harem," she said. "As far as Ferengi go, Frooza is one of the good ones, and I am still not happy you offended him. His office appears the way it does for a reason. If it is empty and dirty, he is less likely to be robbed. It is unwise to flaunt your wealth here unless you have the security to back it up, which Frooza does not. You need to watch your tongue.”

“I’m sorry,” he said and gave her a look that wasn’t exactly apologetic but at least admitted to having made a mistake. “Are you interested in joining his harem?”

Naseema laughed. "Not in the least, but that does not mean I am unwilling to flirt with him to get what I want."

“Does that work?” he asked. “Flirting, I mean, to get what you want?”

_Perhaps, if he flirted with her, she would be nicer to him. Now, he just had to figure out how to flirt without looking like an idiot._

"Sometimes," she replied with a shrug. "I am able to exert a certain influence over most humanoid males, and flirting can go a long way to encouraging them to be more cooperative than they might otherwise be."

“What kind of influence can you exert?” he asked, continuing his curious inquisition.

“I emit an energy field that causes most males to be sexually attracted to me,” she said and laughed again as Elnor’s eyes widened, and he took a step away from her.

“Oh.” _Maybe flirting was a bad idea._

"The effect is subtle, and you are not far enough away to protect yourself if that is what you are attempting to do," she told him. "If you have not already had such urges, it is possible you are somehow insulated. That is uncommon but not unheard of, either way, I am not going to make any attempts to entice you into bed so you can relax.”

“Oh.” _Was he that unappealing? Definitely no flirting._

As they passed the storefront of a small grocer, Naseema paused. "We should stop here and get you something to eat. It is getting dark, and most of the shops will be closing shortly." Elnor nodded in agreement, and they went into the store. It was small but clean and well-stocked. "I will take the bags, go choose yourself whatever you would like, enough for a few days,” she told him and went over to stand near the counter while he wandered around the store.

_He looked at the items, but he couldn't understand most of the labels. Almost all of them were in languages he didn't understand. There was nothing that seemed familiar, and he suddenly felt homesick. He missed the foods he’d eaten since childhood. Fruits and vegetables, fresh-baked bread, and viinerine. It was silly how something as simple as food could trigger such feelings. He felt lonely, and he loathed having to ask Naseema for help. She seemed to think he was stupid, and she would just make fun of him again, but if he wanted to eat, he didn’t have much choice._

He returned to the front counter. "I don't know what most of these things are, and I don't know what to choose."

_She saw the look on his face, and she felt bad. Poor kid, this couldn't be an easy situation for him to find himself in especially, through no fault of his own. She knew she hadn't been very nice to him so far, yet he remained polite. He must be hungry, she realized, and he hadn't complained. He didn't deserve all the shit she kept dumping in his lap, and she knew she needed to show him a little more kindness._

"Alright, I will help you," Naseema said, and he was surprised she didn’t make a joke at his expense. She went with him down the aisles and helped him choose some soup, cheese, fruit, a loaf of bread, and cured meat based on his descriptions of the traditional Romulan foods he was used to eating. Then she paid the short Bolian behind the counter, and they continued on their way.

“Thank you for buying all this food for me,” he said as they walked.

"You do not need to thank me," she replied. "I can hardly allow you to go hungry after convincing you to come with me, and I do not have anything to eat at home."

“Where is your home?” he asked.

"It is just on the next block," she told him. It was dusk, and what little light existed was fading. Elnor noticed the thick grey clouds in the atmosphere seemed to be getting lower in the sky. He also noticed there were fewer people on the street than earlier.

_Everything about this place seemed dirty but not the same way Vashti was dirty. The streets of North Station were literally dirt, so naturally, there was a lot of dust when it was hot and dry, and mud when it rained. The air was clean, though, and had a natural smell. Sweat and earth, hard work, and a touch of salt from the nearby ocean. This place didn't smell like that at all. It smelled like burning metal, smoke, and grease. Hardly any natural light leaked through the thick clouds overhead, and everything was covered in fine, dark soot as if the entire city had been on fire recently. He hadn't seen a single tree since they landed, and the only water they passed was a sluggish river with an oily sheen floating on top of the brown, murky water. There weren't even any insects. It was as if the entire planet was dead on the inside and everyone was living on top of the dried-out husk._

They reached a stretch of tall, windowless buildings just as the exterior lights started to come on, and Naseema abruptly diverted into an alleyway. She went behind a large pile of garbage and unzipped her jacket.

Elnor followed her with a confused expression. “What are you doing?”

She took one of the bags from him, opened it, and stuffed her jacket inside. “I cannot go inside while I look like this, especially not with you. It will raise suspicions," she said as she took off her weapons and put them in the bag too. Then she pulled her sweater off, and Elnor's eyes started to widen.

“Are you going to take _all_ your clothes off out here?”

“No, calm down,” she replied as she tore the bottom half of her tank top off and tucked the frayed edge up under her bra. Then she bent over, fluffed her hair out, and flipped her head back up before tugging her bra lower, and pushing her breasts together. She closed the bag and adjusted her pants, so the waistband sat well below her hips. "How do I look?" she asked.

He stared at her, convinced she’d just lost her mind. “Pardon?”

“Do you want to fuck me?”

“What?!”

“Nevermind, this will have to do,” she said and picked up the bag. He followed her back onto the street and toward the entrance to the faceless tower. “Whatever happens, do _not_ open your mouth,” she instructed. Still confused, he nodded. Inside the building was a dark, tiny lobby, and another shielded counter. An older, red-headed woman who wore too much makeup sat behind it. She looked up as Naseema approached.

“Candy, I was beginning to wonder if you were coming back this time,” she said with a smile.

“Oh, you know how those pleasure-for-business trips go, Nancy," Naseema replied in a high-pitched, saccharine voice. "There is always some excuse to stay another week."

“Yeah, I suppose so,” Nancy chuckled. “A girl’s gotta make a living, huh?” Then she leaned to one side and gave Elnor a once over. “Is he with you?” she asked and raised an eyebrow.

Naseema glanced back and smiled. “Yup.”

“He’s a cutie,” Nancy said. “Much better looking than your usual tricks and younger too.”

“I know,” Naseema replied. “I picked him up at the shuttle station on my way in.” Then she leaned forward and lowered her voice. “I am pretty sure it is his first time.”

Nancy’s eyes lit up with interest. “No kidding! Make sure you show him a good time then!”

“I always do,” Naseema smirked. Then, with a goofy smile, Nancy pressed a button on her control panel and unlocked the inside door. Her eyes followed Elnor as he went with Naseema further into the building.

“You enjoy yourself, cutie pie. Candy will take good care of you,” she said, still smirking.

"Thank you, I will?" Elnor replied, confused, and as soon as the door clicked shut behind him, he turned to Naseema. "What just happened, and why did she tell me to enjoy myself?"

Naseema laughed gently. “Nancy, believes I am a prostitute. Why do you think I stripped half my clothes off before we came in here?”

Elnor shook his head, still confused. “I have no idea why you did that. What’s a _prostitute_?”

Naseema laughed harder. “Oh, Elnor, you are so precious. A prostitute is someone who has sex with people for money. It is a profession even older than sellswords.”

“Wait, she thinks I am here to have sex with you?” he asked.

Naseema nodded. “And that you are paying me for it.”

“Wow,” he said, a little disgusted. “I am _never_ going to pay someone for sex.”

“With a face like yours, you will probably never have to, but lots of people do it for a variety of reasons,” she told him as they got on the lift.

"If you say so, but why would you want people to think you're a prostitute?" he asked, still slightly grossed out.

“Prostitution is perfectly legal, but killing for money is not," she replied. "I do not care to advertise my actual profession for obvious reasons, and masquerading as a vendor of sexual services suits both the hours and the company I keep."

“I suppose that’s fair,” he said and looked her up and down. “I also suppose I could do worse.”

“Well, I am sorry you were co-opted as a pretend trick in my pretend profession as a prostitute,” she teased. “Good lord, Elnor, did you never play make-believe as a child?”

“Of course I did, but make-believe is not the same as lying, which is what you do," he retorted.

“Well, you got me there,” she said. “You are such a boy scout.”

“I don’t know what that is.”

“Of course not.”

After they exited the lift on one of the top floors, Naseema led him down the hallway, unlocked the door and went in. Once inside, Elnor put the bag he was holding down and looked around. The apartment was very small. Every room he'd been in so far was very small. There was a sofa against the far wall, only big enough for two people, with a table at one end, and a lamp at the other. That space bled into the kitchen area, which consisted of a beat-up replicator, a refrigerator, a small slice of counter space, and a sink. A round table with three chairs buffered the kitchen and living spaces. At the back of the kitchen was a dark doorway, which he guessed was the bedroom. The apartment was shabby and sparse, but it was immaculately clean and smelled nice. He sat at the table while Naseema took the bags into the bedroom, and when she returned a few minutes later, she was wearing a new tank top. She deposited her weapons and jacket on the table and pulled her sweater over her head.

"You can put your food in the refrigerator and fix yourself something to eat," she said. "I will hopefully be back soon.”

“Where are you going?” he asked with a worried expression.

“I am going to collect the bounty on Mr. Sutcliffe,” she replied. “Stay in the apartment and do not answer the door under any circumstances.”

“You are not leaving me here,” he told her as he stood up.

“Elnor, these people are extremely dangerous,” she said. “It is not a good idea for you to come with me.”

“I don’t care.”

They stared each other down for nearly a minute until Naseema finally relented. “Alright, if you are going to be so insistent, I suppose I cannot trust you to stay here on your own.”

“No, you can’t,” he said.

“Do you need to eat before we leave?" she asked. He thought about it for a few seconds, but by the time he decided, she already had a drink in her hand. "Get yourself some dinner, I will wait." She sat down at the table and watched him while he fixed himself a plate, and took a seat across the table from her.

“You still haven’t told me why Frooza called you by a different name,” he said.

“I have a few different names,” she replied. “You may have noticed Nancy calls me _Candy_.”

“I liked that one,” he laughed and gave her a saucy look. “Mostly because of the irony. You’re not exactly what I would call _sweet_.”

She laughed too. "I suppose I deserved that." Then she looked at him and frowned. "I am sorry I have not been very nice to you. I spend most of my time alone, and polite conversation makes up very little of the time I do spend with others, but that is a flimsy excuse. You deserve to be treated better, Elnor, and I will try to do that from now on.”

"Thank you," he replied. "I know I talk too much, and I ask too many questions. I haven't exactly been on my best behaviour either so, I will try a little harder too."

She smiled at him. “I think we will make a pretty good team once we stop purposely getting on each others’ nerves.”

He smiled back. “Why do use so many different names?”

“I live a dangerous life,” she explained. “The name I use with the people in this building, _Candy_ , is as much for their protection, as it is for mine. _Valkyrie_ is the name I use with people I do business with. It is my assassin name. Frooza knows I associate with criminals, but he does not know in what capacity, and I would prefer to keep it that way.”

“Is _Naseema_ just another name?” he asked. “Was it your _Enterprise_ name?”

“No, someone who meant a great deal to me gave me that name a very long time ago. It is the name I use with people I trust,” she said. “It is my _real_ name.”

“Can I call you _Naseema_?” he asked with eyebrows raised expectantly.

She nodded. “Yes, Elnor, you may call me _Naseema_.”

He smiled again but didn’t say anything else until he finished his dinner. He took the plate over to the sink, washed it, and came back to the table. “I’m ready.” Naseema finished the last of her drink and got out of her chair. She picked up the bag containing Alvin Sutcliffe’s head and nodded at her companion.

“Well, Dorothy,” she said. “We are off to see the wizard.”

“Are there no other characters in this story you could refer to me as?” he asked.

“There is the scarecrow, who has no brain. There is the tin man, who has no heart, or there is the cowardly lion,” she replied.

“What about the wizard?”

“The wizard is a sad, little man hiding behind a curtain.”

“I’ll keep Dorothy,” he said, disappointed.

“Dorothy is a good choice,” she told him brightly. “She has lovely shoes.”

“I hate you.”

“I hate me too, so at least we have that in common.”

He rolled his eyes again and followed her back down the hallway to the lift. As it slowed near the first floor, Naseema pulled the emergency stop.

"Are we not getting off?" Elnor asked, and she couldn't help but smirk at his unintentional innuendo.

“We are getting off, just not through the door,” she replied. “Come here and give me a boost." He looked at her quizzically but complied and held his hands down so she could put her foot in them. She jimmied the hatch in the ceiling loose, tossed the bag through it, and then pulled herself up. "Now, release the lever and give me your hands." He used his foot to nudge the emergency brake off and jumped to catch her hands. She heaved him up until he could grab the edge of the hatch, and once he was through, she quickly closed it before the lift reached the main level.

He looked up the long tube that surrounded them. “Now what?”

"Now, we go through the ventilation shaft," she told him as she pried the grate open. The opening was narrow, but Elnor managed to wedge himself through it and gratefully found the shaft itself was larger. She directed him as she crawled on her hands and knees behind him, and within a few minutes, he reached a dead end with another grate. "Can you get it open?" Naseema asked.

He could see the release on the other side of the grate, but his hand was too big to squeeze through the slats to reach it. "I can't get to it," he complained. "My fingers are too fat."

“I hardly think you have fat fingers,” Naseema replied, and then he felt her hand pushing his backside out of the way. "Shove over a little," she instructed as she shimmed herself against him to get by. He pressed himself against the side of the shaft as far as he could go, but there wasn't enough room, and then they were stuck. "Well, this is a little awkward," she clipped as she tried to find some kind of handhold or leverage to pry herself past him. He held his hands close to his chest and looked at her uncomfortably. After another minute of struggling, she finally relaxed her body and let out an exasperated sigh. "Shit."

“What are we going to do now?” he asked, disconcerted.

_He didn’t understand why she would go to so much trouble to exit the building like this when they could have just walked out the front door. He was uncomfortable and awkward didn’t even begin to describe how this situation was making him feel. He caught a whiff of her hair and noticed it smelled nice. Then he started to worry that he didn't smell as nice. He hated the sonic showers on La Sirena and only used them when he had to. Then he started questioning himself as to why he cared how he smelled. It wasn't as though he wanted to impress her. He didn't even really like her all that much. Then he remembered what she said about her energy field. That must be why he felt so weird and clumsy._

She pondered their unfortunate dilemma for another minute before she seemed to decide on a course of action. "Okay, I am going to lift myself up," she said. "I want you to get on your back under me if you can." He took an unsteady breath and nodded. She manoeuvred herself around him as he sucked his chest and stomach in. Then she used her forearm to shove herself over top of him as he wiggled underneath her. Their efforts worked. The shaft was taller than it was wide, and now she had room to move. She inched herself along him and grabbed his clothes to gain more leverage while he silently prayed his body wouldn't betray him by mistaking this scenario for something else.

_He’d never had anyone so physically close to him for so long before. Her face was almost touching his, and he could feel her breath on his cheek. She really did smell good, and she had pretty skin too, like fresh cream with a rosy tint. He imagined it was soft and pleasing to touch. He noticed the trail of brightly coloured scales on her neck disappeared under her sweater and started to wonder how much of her body they covered. He could feel his ears growing warm as he thought about it and realized he was probably blushing. He tried to divert his thoughts to something unpleasant and hoped she was too preoccupied to notice._

She slid her fingers through the slats in the shaft cover and pulled herself forward. Now, her breasts were in his face. He closed his eyes, turned his head sideways, and held his breath. Then, he finally heard the grating pop open. "Got it!" she said triumphantly and continued to wriggle past him. She let herself drop from the opening and rolled at she hit the ground. Elnor tossed the bag down to her, and then she watched as he exited the shaft far more gracefully than she did.

_She was impressed with his elegance. His lanky frame belied how lithesome he was. She quietly examined him as he straightened himself up and adjusted the scabbard on his back. The Qowat Milat vestments she made him take off were designed for ease of movement, probably more comfortable, and likely tailored to him. The clothes he wore now were a little snug on him, and he was taller than Rios, so the shirt exposed his abdomen whenever he raised his arms, but they made it obvious how toned his body was. She hadn't taken the time to really look at him until now. He was an attractive young man. Big, dark eyes, bronzed skin and a warm smile. His long hair was a little unconventional, but it suited him. She knew she'd been pushing his buttons and realized it was likely he was quite sweet and polite otherwise. It surprised her that he suffered from such a lack of confidence in his romantic endeavours. Sure, he was shy, but in her experience, young people often found that an endearing quality, and even if they didn't, it certainly wasn't a deal-breaker. It was too bad the girl he fancied couldn't get past the fact that he was Romulan because she guessed he'd probably be a good boyfriend if given the chance._

He noticed her looking at him and shifted uncomfortably. “What?”

She opened her mouth to tell him what she had just been thinking but changed her mind and shook her head instead. "Nevermind." They were in the same alley as earlier, and Naseema led him in the opposite direction out onto another street. "Do not make eye contact with anyone if you can help it," she told him. "We do not need any extraneous problems, especially while we are still in possession of a severed head.” Elnor nodded in agreement, and they continued into the night.

After several blocks and only a few scattered, bedraggled bums, they reached a busier street. Shuttles were whizzing by, large crowds of people and businesses that were still open. Elnor moved a little closer to Naseema after an enormous alien with spikes running along the top of his bald head, and a vicious scar across his face, angrily eyeballed him as they passed each other.

“He is a Separ,” Naseema casually commented when she noticed Elnor glance back to make sure the giant man didn’t decide to follow them. “They always appear confrontational but are usually quite pleasant.”

“Why did he stare at me like that?” Elnor asked.

“Romulans are uncommon here," she replied. "He was probably just curious." Then she abruptly grabbed his arm and yanked him out of the path of a tiny, orange-skinned lizard-like creature. "That is a Grunite. They are _not_ pleasant." Elnor glanced over his shoulder again and saw the Grunite standing on the sidewalk. It was watching them walk away, and when he met its eyes, it pulled a large knife from inside its jacket and grinned. Elnor quickly turned back around and kept walking.

“How can you live in a place like this?” he asked. “Everyone seems so angry and miserable.”

“That is because they _are_ angry and miserable,” she chuckled. “Nobody chooses to live in Black City because it is a nice place.”

“I don’t understand why anyone would _choose_ to live here at all," he said. Naseema turned to respond, but then there was a loud crash, followed by a bang, and the sound of weapon fire. They both looked in the direction of the commotion. Two shuttles had collided, and several people were shooting at each other. Naseema turned her eyes to Elnor’s, arched her eyebrow, and kept walking. He clutched the strap of his scabbard and held pace with her.

_What an awful place this was, he didn't like it here at all. Everyone seemed threatening, and he felt threatened. He missed La Sirena and his friends. He thought about what Picard said to him after the incident in the market, that he was hot-headed and too eager to find trouble. He was beginning to believe maybe that was true, and now, he'd found himself way more trouble than he anticipated. This wasn't exactly what he spent all those years tirelessly training for, sacrificing friends and fun to earn his tan qalanq._

“Most people are here because they have few other choices. They are desperate or trapped...or hiding. The only rule in Black City that matters is, _do not ask, do not tell_ ," she said. "Do not ask unnecessary questions and do not offer any unnecessary information."

Elnor sighed with defeat. “Wonderful.”

She glanced at him sympathetically. “You can talk to me, alright?” she offered. “I promise I will not make you feel stupid.”

He sighed again but nodded. “Alright.”

When they finally reached their destination, there was nothing remarkable about the building. It had the same colourless, unimaginative facade as every other building Elnor saw, but once they were inside, he found himself awed by the elaborate, richly decorated interior. They entered onto a wide landing with curved staircases on either side and a view of the enormous space below. The carpets had intricate woven designs with deep, vibrant dyes. There were dramatic light fixtures and beautiful murals on the walls. The room was filled with tables of all sorts of people playing games and others seated at tall machines with colourful, flashing lights. He could just barely hear music playing over the din of the crowd. “What is this place?” he asked as Naseema took him down the stairs and into the excitement.

“It is a casino,” she replied. “A gambling house and probably the most cliched front for a criminal organization in existence.” She turned to Elnor. “Is gambling a past time on Vashti?”

"For some people," he said and looked around as they made their way across the room. "There is nothing like this place though only the Romulan Social Club.” Then he turned his eyes to her. “Do you gamble?” he asked.

"Only with my life," she replied, and he let out a snort of laughter. They reached a door with two guards on either side, a Suliban, and a Beta Annari. Naseema approached the pair and smiled. “Gentlemen, if you would be so kind as to let Sajek know I am here.”

The Suliban guard leaned over and whispered something to the Beta Annari, who then eyed Naseema up and down. "He's been waiting for you, Valkyrie."

Naseema nodded, and he opened the door. As she and Elnor walked through it, the Beta Annari sniffed the young Romulan. Then he turned to the Suliban. "Not in the last twenty-four hours," he said, and they both laughed. Elnor didn’t understand what was so funny and ignored them as he kept his eyes ahead. In the next room, a human man sat in a large wingback chair behind an even larger desk with two more guards on either side. There were a couple of other people in the room, seated near the desk. All their eyes turned to the Feeonix when she entered.

“Who’s your friend?” one of the guards asked.

Naseema glanced behind her. “He is my _apprentice_ ,” she lied. Elnor stayed near the door and quietly kept his eyes on the room's other occupants as Naseema went up to the desk, and plunked the bag down on it. "The esteemed Mr. Alvin Sutcliffe," she said sarcastically. Sajek motioned to one of the guards who took the bag and opened it. Then he nodded at his boss before dropping the bag on the floor. Sajek opened one of the drawers and pulled out another small bag. He placed it on the desk and slid it toward Naseema. She opened it and examined the contents. "This is not what we agreed upon," she said with irritation, and Elnor felt a knot start to form in his stomach.

_He was sure there was going to be a fight._

Sajek reclined in his chair and tapped his fingers on the desk. “You fucked up, Valkyrie.”

“Pardon me, but is that not Sutcliffe’s head in the bag?” she asked.

"It is definitely Alvin Sutcliffe's head," Sajek replied. "However, you were supposed to eliminate him once he reached his destination, not in transit." Elnor's eyes widened at the revelation, and Naseema’s heart sank as she realized Sajek was the one who sent the Suliban mercenaries to take _La Sirena_.

_Fuck._

Sajek leaned forward on his desk. “You left behind a bunch of witnesses who reported your little escapade to the Fenris Rangers,” he continued.

Naseema could feel Elnor’s eyes burning a hole in the back of her head. “You kidnapped the crew,” she said to Sajek. He didn't respond verbally, but the reptilian smirk that crawled up his face did the talking for him. "What are you planning to do with them?" she asked confrontationally.

“We’ll discuss it tomorrow,” he replied. “For now, you should take your money, go buy your little apprentice a drink, and teach him how to follow instructions better than you do.” Naseema glared at him as she yanked the bag off the desk, turned on her heels, and grabbed Elnor’s arm as she exited the office. Neither of them said a word to the other as they made the walk back to her building, but she could feel him stewing in his anger the entire way. They went through the ventilation system again and rode the top of the lift up to her floor before they dropped down into its compartment. Once they were inside her apartment, he unleashed on her.

“I knew this whole awful mess was your fault!” he shouted. “You have been lying to me from the beginning!”

“Elnor, I am sorry-”

"No! I don't want to hear it! You'll only lie again!" He was so angry, his face was flushed, and if he could cut her heart out with his eyes, he would have. "You tried to kill me! You have been nothing but mean and spiteful since you yanked me from my bed, and convinced me to come with you! Everything I had is gone now because of you! What am I supposed to do now?!”

"Please calm down," Naseema said quietly. "My neighbours can probably hear you."

“I am not going to calm down!” he continued as his voice became even louder. “What is so wrong with you that you just had to kill poor Mr. Sutcliffe onboard our ship?! Why couldn't you wait until we dropped him off like you were supposed too?! What did he do that was so terrible, you just _had_ to kill him that night?!”

“We will get the others back, I promise,” she said as she held her hands up.

“Stop making empty promises and answer my questions!”

“Alvin Sutcliffe was a terrible person, a predator who didn’t deserve to continue existing,” she said as she went to the replicator and got a drink.

"You already said that, and I don’t believe you,” Elnor spat. “You are nothing but a drunk and a liar, and I am finished with you!" He moved for the door, but Naseema blocked his path.

"Where are you going to go, Elnor?" she asked, and her condescending tone only made him more upset.

“Anywhere is better than here,” he snapped. “I can’t believe Picard _ever_ considered you his friend. You are the worst person I have _ever_ met.”

Her expression abruptly changed when he said Picard’s name.

_She was tired of this ignorant little twerp lording his moral superiority over her. He had zero fucking idea what he was talking about and how dare he judge her for choices he had no understanding of. Well, she would make him understand. She would show him exactly what kind of monster Alvin Sutcliffe was, and then maybe he would shut his obnoxious little mouth._

“Fine, if you really want to know what kind of person Alvin Sutcliffe was, I will fucking show you,” she snarled and then stormed into the bedroom. When she came back a few seconds later, she had Sutcliffe’s travel bag in her hand. She dumped its contents out on the table and grabbed the small green bag. She opened it, pulled out the handful of vials, and thrust them toward Elnor. “Do you know what these are?” she demanded as she glared at him.

He glanced down at her hand and glared back at her. “No, I don’t know what those are. Why don’t you enlighten me?” he sneered.

"Oh, I will," she replied venomously and picked through the contents of her hand. "This one is a euphoric-uninhibitor. It will poison your brain and make you believe you want sex more than you have ever wanted anything. This one will make you forget everything you have done for the last forty-eight hours, and this one will paralyze every muscle in your body while you remain conscious and aware of everything happening to you."

Elnor looked at her and scoffed. “Why are you telling me this? What do any of those things have to do with you killing Mr. Sutcliffe on _La Sirena_?”

“Dear, Mr. Sutcliffe, who you so foolishly pity, had a thing for boys your age,” she replied, her tone still dark and combative. “Have you ever been sodomized, Elnor? I have heard it is rather unpleasant when non-consensual.”

Elnor’s expression turned from scornful to troubled and confused. “I-I don’t understand, what are you saying?”

Naseema softened her tone. “I saw how he looked at you in the market,” she told him. “He would have drugged you with one of these and had his way with you while everyone else slept. I went after him on your ship because I was hoping to head him off before he got to you.” She paused for a second before she added, “You do not even lock your door at night, Elnor, you were an easy target.”

He looked down at the handful of vials and then met her eyes again. “How do you know he was going to do that?”

“I had been tracking him for several months. I knew his habits, his routines...and his preferences,” she said, then she sighed mournfully as she dropped the drugs on the table and picked up her drink. “His last victim died because I waited for a better opportunity. I did not want him to claim yet another one.” She downed the glass and returned to the replicator for a refill. With the fresh drink in hand, she turned back to her bewildered young companion. "I am sorry I fucked your life up, it was not my intention to do so, and I will do whatever it takes to get Jean-Luc, and your friends back from Sajek, but if you still wish to leave, I will not stop you." Elnor lowered his eyes, unsure of what to think. Naseema turned to the replicator again, and when she finished, she brought a bottle of clear liquid and a glass over to the table, and set it down. Then she looked at him ruefully. "Help yourself you may find it eases the unsettling thoughts. I am going to go shower now. You are welcome to have one when I am finished, and the bed is yours, I do not need to sleep.” She took her drink and disappeared into the bedroom.

Elnor watched her go, looked at the vials again, and then at the bottle on the table as he worried about what he was going to do now.


End file.
